From the discovery of monotheism by the Israelites to their contributions in the creation and development of capitalism, socialism, and psychoanalysis, Jewish brilliance can be perceived in all artistic, scientific, and philosophical branches.

Historian Paul Johnson points out some of the contradictions inherent in being Jewish—for example, rationality and mysticism—and observes a peculiar nationalism, expressed even in the Book of Maccabees, that led to Zionism. “No people have insisted more firmly that humanity has a destiny and history has a purpose,” says Johnson. A history of four thousand years—from Abraham to the consolidation of the state of Israel—which forged a culture that has had an undeniable influence on the formation of the modern world.